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A NIMBY Toolkit InOvercoming Our Community Resistance Backyard to Reentry Housing (A NIMBY Toolkit) TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Summary and Table of Contents 2 Introductory Letter 3 Section 1: The Reentry Crisis 7 Section II: A Case Study 15 Section III: What Does the Fortune Academy Story Tell Us? 16 Section IV: Best Practices for Gaining Community Support - Applying Lessons Learned to Your Organization 19 Section V: Conclusion 20 Section VI: Endnotes SUMMARY With over 725,000 men and women being released from prison each year, the need for housing assistance for the formerly incarcerated population is immense. Indeed, in addition to linking homelessness and incarceration, research has formerly incarcerated population at a disadvantage when trying to access safe and stable housing. For some, returning homeidentified to their a significant family is notrelationship an option between as family homelessness members may and be re-offending. unwilling or unable Unfortunately, to accommodate a number them. of barriers Accessing place the housing in the private market also presents a challenge given high prices and landlords’ exercising their personal discretion to discriminate against people with criminal histories. Finally, public housing policies – both at the federal and local level – deny access to individuals with certain criminal convictions. overwhelming need with few resources. This toolkit highlights the experience of The Fortune Society in its development of a housingCommunity-based project in West service Harlem. providers Through around Fortune’s the country experience, working organizations in the reentry can gleanfield have strategies begun to to help respond them to overcome this one of the greatest challenges associated with providing housing to formerly incarcerated men and women. NIMBY lessonsopposition learned can result by Fortune, in significant this toolkit project provides delays, guidance or even shutand encouragementdown. This case to study those documents organizations how working an organization to assist formerlycan address incarcerated a myriad of people community and create concerns safer and communities. ultimately garner support for its project. By offering tangible steps and This project was supported by Grant No. 2009-D1-BX-K016 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the SMART Office, and the Office for Victims of Crime. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not represent the official position or policies of the United States Department of Justice. 1 LETTER OF INTRODUCTION Dear Colleagues, The Fortune Society and the Prisoner Reentry Institute at John Jay College of Criminal Justice are pleased to present to you this toolkit, In Our Backyard: Overcoming Community Resistance to Reentry Housing (A NIMBY Toolkit). It has been developed for organizations that have experience with providing housing to the reentry population as well as those for whom it is a new venture. The unprecedented number of men and women returning home from correctional facilities represents an important challenge. How we address the numerous needs experienced by this population today (including securing safe and stable housing) will help shape the way we think about and tackle issues that result from incarceration for decades to come. This toolkit shares lessons learned and successful practices culled from experience and provides a statement of possibility for others who are seeking to house needy and feared populations. In Fall 2009, The Fortune Society and Prisoner Reentry Institute at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, funded by Castle,the U.S. a Department supportive residenceof Justice, forBureau approximately of Justice Assistance, 62 men and partnered women released to create from materials incarceration to provide to homelessness skill development in Westopportunities Harlem. Itfor is theset reentryin the academic field. This literature toolkit highlightson the relationship the experiences between of homelessness, The Fortune Society reincarceration as it established and criminal the resolution. This collaboration between complementary sets of expertise in reentry – that of a direct service provider and ajustice college involvement, of criminal andjustice is informed – was further by knowledge enriched byabout contributions organizational from change, the International leadership Center and the for psychology Cooperation of conflict and Conflict Resolution at Teachers College, Columbia University. housing to formerly incarcerated people. Community opposition can be one of the greatest challenges an organization must face Thisas it toolkitworks tofocuses establish on helping services organizations for populations address that are a very considered specific “threatening.”issue when developing “Not in My the Back capacity Yard” to – provide commonly supporters.referred to as NIMBY – opposition can result in significant program delays or even complete shutdown. The Fortune Society case study illustrates how those who fiercely oppose a project in the beginning can become an organization’s strongest This toolkit begins with an overview of housing options for men and women being released as well as a review of others details of how The Fortune Society garnered community support for the project and developed a relationship of trust with itsworking neighbors. in this Readers field who will have learn been the successful nature of thein establishing strong opposition housing faced for their by the clients. Fortune The Society toolkit from then neighbors provides specificwho some twenty years. The toolkit culminates with key lessons and steps to help other organizations as they work to establish feared its arrival more than they feared the drug-ridden building and vacant lot that had endangered their neighborhood for or sustain housing efforts or begin to consider providing this service. Offering housing possibilities to people coming home from prison is challenging. Not only does it require a strong willbusiness see, the plan relationship and stable financing,The Fortune but Society equally eventually – if not more established importantly with – its it involves neighbors self-reflection in West Harlem about did organizational not develop overnight.capacity in Aorder great to deal sustain of skill, the patience,extensive and effort dedication to establish went a intosupportive developing relationship strong community with community support. members. However, As this you work has paid off tremendously for all involved. The Fortune Society just opened a 114 low-income apartment building and service centerWe hope directly the information behind the Castle.presented The in community this toolkit, fully including supported The itsFortune developmentSociety’s and case will study, benefit will from the new affordableWe hope units the informationthat are available. presented in this toolkit , including The Fortune Society’s case study, will provide guidance and encouragementprovide guidance to those and organizations encouragement currently to those providing organizations or those currently that are providing considering or providingthose that housingare options to considering providing housing options to their clients. We welcome you to contact The Fortune Society visit its twoif you Harlem have. residences. their clients. We welcome you to contact The Fortune Society if you have questions generated by this toolkit or would like to Sincerely,Sincerely, JoAnne Page Jeremy Travis PresidentJoAnne and CEO Page President Jeremy Travis The FortunePresident Society and CEO John JayPresident College of Criminal Justice The Fortune Society John Jay College of Criminal Justice 2 I: The Reentry Crisis records. For example, the U.S. Department of Housing and Challenges for the formerly incarcerated Urbanhousing Development’s to a variety of “One categories Strike ofand people, You’re including Out” policy According to recent national statistics, about 725,000 requires that all local public housing authorities deny individuals are released from prisons and millions more cycle through jails each year, a volume of formerly those convicted of arson, violent crimes or drug-related incarcerated people reentering society never before offenses, those with histories of substance and alcohol seen. A complex set of factors renders these individuals abuse, and those subject to registry under state sex offender vulnerable1 to relapse to criminal activity, resulting in registration laws (Report of the Re-Entry Policy Council, 2003).Making matters worse is that no government agency is disturbingly high rates of recidivism. Nationwide, two jurisdictionally charged with ownership of the problems of recidivism and homelessness among the formerly incarcerated: Corrections and criminal justice agencies thirds of those released from prisons and jails are re- view their responsibility to the incarcerated population arrested for a new offense within three years and 54% integrationare re-incarcerated into society (Langan are that & Levin, the formerly 2002). Among incarcerated, the factors that undermine prospects for successful re- reentryas limited services, to the period including of custodial housing, care;does notparole fall agenciesunder the physically or mentally disabled, undereducated and arepurview underfinanced
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